Something I Need
by Peachy Hikaru
Summary: an OCxOC story, with the Winx Club and Specialists as supplementary characters. One of Bloom's friends has come back to Gardenia but she's vastly different from the person Bloom left behind. Why? Deals with darker themes.
1. Chapter 1

Hi guys!

I know I don't usually have author's notes in the beginning of my chapters, but I felt that this was important.

Firstly, the Winx Club original characters are not going to be the main characters - my own characters are. I know these types of stories usually aren't popular, but in this story I want to explore some darker themes and how the Winx reacts to them (because as much as they battle evil and all that in the show, it's a children's show and of course, everything is kept simple so themes like self-harm and coping with death are never really explored) so I felt like creating my own character in that verse would allow me to stretch the verse further.

Secondly, updates for this story will probably be pretty sporadic (sorry). As I keep mentioning, jc life is super busy and I shouldn't even be writing this now (lol) but I started watching winx club again over the holidays (yes I'm seventeen and I watched winx club) and this plot bunny has been bugging me for a while now, so I just wanted to try my hand at writing it, and of course share it with you guys.

That being said, I hope you enjoy this - the first chapter really isn't that long or exciting, it's mostly just setting up the premise and stuff, so please be patient with me!

* * *

Sometimes, Bloom had feelings. They weren't usually very precise - she was by no means psychic, but she was able to sense when big changes were about to happen, an ability she'd always had that had grown stronger as she started using her powers. It seemed like most fairies had that ability, and she'd accepted it as a sign of her latent fairy powers in her earlier years.

And right now, that sense was creating a rather uncomfortable feeling in the back of her mind. She just couldn't figure out what it was, because it had been present and growing steadily stronger for at least a week now, and yet nothing out of the ordinary had happened so far that would have explained the sense she got that something big was about to occur.

She tried to put the nagging feeling out of her mind for the moment, since she was having a FaceTime conversation with her adoptive parents from Gardenia. She was trying her best to focus on what they were saying, since they were updating her on what was going on with her old friends, and she was more than interested in what they were saying, and yet that sensation in the back of her mind was driving her insane.

"Oh, by the way, your old friend Daniella is back in town," her father mentioned offhandedly, and Bloom sat straight up. "She _is_? Oh, that's amazing news!" she exclaimed excitedly, jumping out of her seat reflexively. A huge smile spread across her face. Daniella had been one of her best friends until she had moved to Magix. Now in her final year at Alfea College, it had been about seven years since she'd last seen Daniella. She grinned as she remembered her sweet friend with the long, black hair and huge, twinkling eyes that Bloom had envied for so long.

"I'll come back as soon as I can make time," she promised. "I can't wait to see Daniella again!" she exclaimed to Kiko. She wondered if he remembered her as well; after all, Daniella had gone with her when she purchased him from the pet shop, and had helped her choose him. By the confused look on his adorable little bunny face, though, probably not.

"Well, I'm sure she'll be thrilled," Bloom's mother told her. "You should keep in mind though, that a lot of things have changed since you both saw each other - for you and for her. The two of you aren't the same people anymore, and you can't expect her to be… exactly as she is in your memories."

Bloom's forehead wrinkled as she heard her mother's words. "What does that mean?" she asked, confused. Surely even if they had changed and matured with age, Daniella would remain the same sweet, loving person she had once been. She didn't expect for them to pick up right where they left off, of course. Bloom was twenty-three now, and so was Daniella. Neither of them would be exactly the same, but Bloom strongly believed that as much as people could change on the outside, they remained the same people at the core.

"You'll see," her father replied, exchanging worried glances with her mother. Bloom caught the glance and immediately knew that there was something her parents knew that they weren't telling her.

"Well, will you give me her number so I can contact her? I'd love to meet up with her the next time I go home to Gardenia," she requested of her parents. After they agreed to text her Daniella's new details, they exchanged goodbyes and hung up.

"Wow, that sure was unexpected," she told Kiko as he bounced excitedly on her lap. "Daniella… I haven't seen her in so long. Selina, Daniella and I used to be absolutely inseparable, but after Selina left, it was just Daniella and I. We didn't see her the last time we spent time on Earth after graduating from high school, because she was off at college, and somehow we lost contact with each other when I came here and she left. I can't wait to catch up with her!" she said, smiling at Kiko and his adorable antics.

Since she was sitting in the common area of the suite the Winx Club shared in the dormitories, Stella was sitting on the nearby loveseat, giving herself a pedicure. "Who's Daniella?" she asked offhandedly, as she admired the stunning shade of teal that was painting itself onto her toenails, courtesy of the first magic spell she'd ever created.

"One of my oldest friends," Bloom said, leaning back into the sofa as she smiled dreamily up at the ceiling, lost in her reminiscence. She told a half-listening Stella about the best adventures she'd had with Daniella, starting from when they had met on the first day of first grade.

"I was an only child, so I had never really interacted with kids that much, especially since I was rather quiet in preschool. Daniella was just the opposite, always smiling and laughing, surrounded by our peers. I remember when I first saw her in first grade, I was immediately intimidated by her. She'd just moved here so she was completely new, and didn't know anyone. Despite that, she was already surrounded by the other first-graders in our class. When I walked into class and saw her, I ducked my head and just walked to a desk at the back of the classroom, but she saw me and she was so friendly!

"She told me she loved the color of my hair and that my outfit was really cute. Even though she'd always been popular, starting from that first day of first grade, she never let it get to her head, was never mean and petty the way Mitzi is. She was nice to everyone, always smiling, and was pretty much the sweetest person I've ever met. She was a lot like Flora, come to think of it, but more bubbly and vivacious. The way she could connect with people, it was incredible," Bloom enthused.

At the moment, Flora opened the door to their suite and walked in, humming a quiet tune under her breath.

"Oh, speak of the devil!" Stella exclaimed, startling Flora, who had been thinking about rearranging the plants in the Alfea greenhouse to facilitate the cultivation of some new plants she'd heard of on a faraway planet.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked, seeing Bloom's distant, dreamy smile and Stella's bare feet propped up on the coffee table.

"Oh, Bloom just got a call from her parents, one of her old friends is back in town," Stella said, waving her hand to make her bottle of nail polish cap itself.

"Oh, not one of my old friends, my oldest friend!" Bloom exclaimed to Flora. "And I was just saying to Stella how much she reminded me of you. She was one of the sweetest people I've ever known, although come to think of it, she was as vivacious and confident as Stella as well," she said.

"Well, she sounds like quite the girl!" Flora said, smiling as she took in how happy her friend was. She took a seat next to Bloom.

"Oh, she was, and I can't wait to see her again! As I was telling Stella, she was the first friend I made in first grade, and we were inseparable ever since. She, Selina and I were the best of friends, and she was always the life of our little group. I owe a lot of who I am to Daniella, in fact, she taught me a lot about how to be a leader and stand up for myself."

Soon, the whole club had gathered as Bloom happily told them stories of her childhood with Daniella and Selina, all the adventures they'd had and the trouble they'd gotten into as youths, and all the best memories she'd had with them.

"Well, we have midterm break next week, maybe you can go back to Gardenia and reunite with Daniella then," Tecna told Bloom.

"Oh, that's right!" Bloom realised, her eyes widening. "I can't wait to find out how she's doing! I wonder if she has a boyfriend or is married by now," she mused. "You know she was the first one of the three of us to ever get a boyfriend. She and Steven got together when we were thirteen and he was a year older. No one ever expected them to last long, because I mean most relationships then are doomed to failure, but they managed to stay together up until I left. I wonder if they're still together, it would be adorable if they're married by now."

Stella, Musa and Flora gasped. "Oh, that would be so romantic!" they agreed enthusiastically. Tecna and Layla were less excited, though they did smile and admit that it would be cute.

"You know, I would like to meet Daniella," Stella suggested, looking askance at the rest of the Winx Club members.

"Oh, that does sound like fun!" Flora picked up on Stella's intentions immediately, and agreed.

"You're right! Let's all go to Gardenia over midterm break! We can invite the specialists too, I'm sure they'd be interested in meeting such a special person," Layla said. Bloom agreed happily, saying it sounded like a lot of fun, and with that, it was settled.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed that! As always, I would love it if you dropped me a review telling me what you thought so far.

Love,

Peachy Hikaru


	2. Chapter 2

"Goodbye Ms Griselda! Goodbye Ms Faragonda!" the Winx girls chorused as they walked out the exit of the school building of Alfea, their luggage trailing behind them. As they walked out the courtyard of the school, they saw other groups of girls leaving as well, the high school freshmen struggling to pull or carry their luggage along, since levitation was a spell taught near the end of the semester.

"I can't wait to go home to Gardenia!" Bloom enthused as they boarded the bus to Magix. "My parents were able to get one of the beach houses for us, and I was a little doubtful at first because those beach houses used to be absolutely awful, but they insisted that there were some major changes and the beach houses are much nicer now," she explained.

"Well that sounds promising," Musa said cheerfully, looking out the window at the passing scenery.

"And we get to stay with the boys, too!" Stella added, grinning. "Is that the main reason why you're excited?" Tecna asked teasingly.

Stella blushed. "Well, no, but it is a huge part of why I'm excited," she clarified with a saucy wink. "I'm so looking forward to spending time with Brandon," she confided, then sobered and looked out the window like Musa quietly. She didn't say anything, but then again, she didn't have to. All of them, herself especially, knew why she was troubled. As crown princess of Solaria, she had a duty to marry for the throne, since her husband would be the king, or royal consort at the very least. As much as she wanted to, she couldn't throw her responsibility to her kingdom to the wind and marry Brandon, which meant that as soon as she graduated from Alfea College in eight months to return to the political scene in Solaria, she and Brandon were basically over.

At the unwelcome reminder of the imminent fate of the longest-lasting - and unlikeliest, given how flirtatious both of them were - relationship, all of them grimaced for a moment, but didn't dare to say anything. After all, none of them knew what she was going through, and to say anything about the situation was like stepping through a minefield. Even Bloom, despite being royalty as well, didn't know what to say - after all, she wasn't crown princess, so she didn't have to rule Domino, and her bloodlines were pure enough to be queen of Eraklyon. Not having anything to contribute to the discussion, Bloom and Flora, who were sitting on either side of Stella, just rested their heads on her shoulders and squeezed her hands reassuringly. Stella gave a small smile and sighed, slumping against the back of her seat.

Stella perked up when they reached their destination and the boys ran out of the cafe they had agreed to meet up at. "Brandon!" she cried out exuberantly, throwing herself into his arms. They exchanged a heated kiss and the rest of the group just looked at them with amusement, each of the girls in the arms of her significant other. Because Stella and Brandon were both very physically affectionate people, they had always been prone to such displays every time they met up or said goodbye. It had gotten worse ever since the start of the school year, but since they all knew why, no one gave the pair a hard time about it.

"I'm so excited to spend the break with you," Stella mumbled into Brandon's neck, which she was currently trailing kisses down. He ran his hands up and down her back as he murmured his agreement.

"Come on you guys, the transporter is right about to leave," Tecna intoned, taking Timmy's hand as they led the group to the transporting pad. Breaking apart with a semi-guilty and dreamy half-lidded look, they followed the rest of the group.

"To Earth, please," Bloom requested of the transporter, which promptly dropped them in the middle of Gardenia.

"Okay, my mom said that we should just make our way to the beach houses because the agent would meet us there and hand us the keys, so let's go!" Bloom directed the group. They took a slow, leisurely walk to the beach, enjoying the warm weather. They were all relieved, though, when they reached the office building near the beach, stepping into its air-conditioned interior.

"Um, hi, I'm Bloom, and this is my party. We've booked a beach house for the next two weeks," she told the teenaged girl sitting at the desk.

"Oh hey Bloom!" Just then, a tiny slip of a girl, wearing a crisp white long-sleeved blouse and a black pencil skirt walked in the door. Even in her black heeled Louboutin pumps, the top of her head barely reached the boys' shoulders - and Riven's chest - and they watched in mild amusement as she walked authoritatively up to the front desk, where the concierge looked mildly panicked.

"Um, good afternoon, Miss Rivers," the girl stuttered out, her eyes wide.

"Danny, it's so good to see you again!" Bloom exclaimed as she rushed over to hug the girl, whom they assumed was Daniella. Their suspicions were confirmed when she turned to the rest of them, one arm still slung around the girl's shoulder, and introduced her. "Guys, this is Daniella, my best and oldest friend!" she announced to the group.

"Hi Daniella," they all chorused, and she smiled and said hi back. She really was a beauty, Bloom hadn't been exaggerating one bit. They took in her sweet face with the enormous eyes, slender, regal nose and lush lips, the thick black hair in a bun with just the smallest streaks of dark red running through it, the sleek, athletic body that was shown off to perfection by the expensive-looking office clothes she wore, and, of course, the beautiful shoes with flirty red soles that adorned her tiny feet.

They all took turns introducing themselves, as Daniella smiled and shook their hands politely.

"So, how come you're here?" Bloom finally asked, the curiosity too much for her to take.

"Well, is that any way to greet an old friend who left work in the middle of the day to come see you?" Daniella joked. "I'm here to show you to your beach house, silly! Your parents told me you were arriving today, and I'd hoped to sit at the desk and trick you into thinking I was the concierge, but this morning's meeting ran horribly late," she lamented, rolling her eyes.

"May I have the keys to their house, please?" Daniella asked, holding her hand out to the receptionist, who currently looked a little like she was going to throw up. She hastily placed the keys in Daniella's outstretched hand, and her look of relief when Daniella thanked her and ushered the rest of the group out was comical to the members of the group who turned back and were able to catch it.

"I think what Bloom meant was how were you able to leave your workplace in the middle of the day for an unofficial meeting? According to what I've read about Earth office etiquette, that is generally seen as a no-no," Tecna clarified.

Bloom nodded. "Yup, and how come you were allowed to just walk in and show us to our house?" she added.

"Oh, I see your parents haven't told you yet," Daniella commented. "That seems surprising, since I've been the talk of the town ever since I've been back," she said drily, rolling her eyes. "To answer your questions, the conglomerate I work for, Barilla Group, has decided to make business ventures in Gardenia, including buying out the company that used to own the beach houses here. That's why they've been refurbished and upgraded," she added. "Since I grew up in Gardenia, out of the candidates who were screened to head the office here, I was chosen in the end, and here I am now. Your parents told me you guys were coming to stay when I ran into them the other night, so I thought I'd come down and say hi," she concluded.

By this time, they were standing in front of a gorgeous beach house, which Daniella unlocked for them. She took off her shoes at the entrance, nudging them with her toes to the side of the door, near the shoe cabinets. "So, here's your house," she told them. When they were all in the house, admiring the gorgeous decor and lush furnishings, she directed them to the dining table, and showed them a leather-bound folder with several documents inside.

"So, the house comes with wi-fi, and the network name and password are all written here," she explained, pointing at them on the paper. "A housekeeper will come by every other day to clean up the place, so you may want to leave during those times so that she won't disturb you. We do have cable TV, so I hope you enjoy," she told them, smiling. "Well, I'll leave you to explore the house - if you need anything, just call the front desk using this number," she finished, flipping the pages and pointing at the phone number on the printed page.

"Well, bye guys!" she said, turning away as eleven members of the group continued to look around curiously and excitedly at the house they would be staying in for the next two weeks.

"Wait, Danny!" Bloom said hurriedly as she half-ran to Daniella, who was slipping back into her shoes. "I'd really like to catch up with you, can we have dinner tonight?" she suggested.

Daniella smiled at Bloom, her beautiful eyes twinkling so brightly they could have put the stars in Solaria to shame. "Wow, she really is gorgeous," Stella whispered to Layla, who nodded silently.

"Sure, Bloom, I'd love to! I'll have my secretary make reservations tonight at La Bella. For two or thirteen?" she asked, raising a neat brow.

"Oh, just the two of us tonight. I'd love for us all to hang out together soon, but I really want to just catch up tonight," Bloom explained. "But… La Bella seems extravagant," she said, looking worried.

Daniella looked a little surprised for a moment, then her features smoothed out into a smile. "Don't worry about it, I'll pick up the tab," she said, waving her right hand dismissively. As she did, Bloom noticed a gorgeous ring that looked almost like an engagement ring on her ring finger. Before she could ask about it, though, Daniella pulled her sleeve back to look at her watch, frowned, then stepped in to give her another hug.

"I'll see you tonight then, Bloom! I'll pick you up from the front desk at around eight, okay? See you guys, nice to meet you, we'll chat more soon" she said hastily, then almost ran out of the house.

"Well," Musa said when Bloom shut the door and turned back around. "She certainly is a whirlwind of energy."

"Yes, and so tiny, it's adorable!" Stella added, and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Still, based on what I know of Earth career trajectories, she's incredibly successful for someone of our age. She can't have been out of university for that long, and heading a branch of a big conglomerate like Barilla already? That's amazing," Tecna marvelled.

"Yes, she certainly seems capable. The poor receptionist was terrified of her," Layla said, laughing.

Flora said nothing. She and Helia were looking at each other, each with an intense look on their faces, like they were having a telepathic conversation, which wasn't all that uncommon with the two of them, anyway.

"It's so nice to hear that you guys like her!" Bloom said, smiling. This mid-term break was shaping up to be rather perfect.

* * *

Wow another chapter so soon - yay progress!

Hope you guys like this one too, I hope you like Daniella so far. I have lots of plans for her, and I'm intending to shift the focus of the story to her soon.

As always, I love to hear about your opinions, so please let me know what you think of the chapter!

Love,

Peachy Hikaru


	3. Chapter 3

Bloom was excited. She'd gone to see her parents after they were all settled in, and they had been very welcoming, happy to see her and her friends. She was even pleased to see that Sky and her parents were getting along incredibly well, which was good since he was going to be their son-in-law… kind of.

Thinking about her complicated family tree sometimes gave her a headache, so she usually tried not to, content with just being happy and appreciative of her unique family. After all, one more set of parents only meant more love to give and receive.

Sky was escorting her to the front desk to wait for Daniella to pick her up - "just because he's such a gentleman," Brandon had commented with a wink and a cheeky grin while Stella smacked his arm, giggling - and she looped her arm through his as she tried hard not to stumble in her heels on the textured cobble pavement.

"Wow, La Belle, she must be doing really well," Bloom mused. "I've only been there once, when Mom's shop was voted the best floral shop in South Italy! She didn't even blink when I pointed out that it was going to cost a bomb! And she's heading a branch of a big firm like Barilla, I'm so proud of her!" she exclaimed to Sky.

He smiled back at her, happy to see his love so happy and excited. "Yes that does sound impressive," he agreed, although he didn't really know the details of Daniella's stellar career. Although Tecna had tried to explain it, it had gotten a little confusing when she started rambling on about company buyouts and the intricacies of the entrepreneurship and business industry. "And I must say, Bloom, that you look absolutely gorgeous tonight," he complimented her, taking in her pretty outfit appreciatively.

Bloom, wearing a pale blue spaghetti-strapped cocktail dress with a layered skirt, a small braid pulling her hair neatly out of her face, and strappy heeled shoes, the Pendant of Eraklyon nestled in the hollow of her neck, blushed. "Thank you, Sky," she said, her eyes cast down shyly. "Stella helped a lot," she offered by way of explanation.

Sky stopped then, and drew her close to him, touching the pendant on her décolletage. "No, Bloom, you aren't beautiful because Stella helped to dress you and put your makeup on. You're beautiful because you shine from within, and you're the most amazing girl I've ever met," he told her gently, stroking the necklace tenderly.

Bloom blushed and smiled up at him, reaching up to capture his fingers. He'd made a habit of stroking the pendant, which she'd been told was like the Eraklyon royals' version of an engagement ring. "I love you too, Sky," she whispered to him, reaching up to kiss him. The hand she was holding entwined his fingers with hers, while his other hand reached down to her waist, drawing her more fully against him.

After a long, slow kiss, he stopped and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavily. "I really can't wait till we're married," he admitted, smiling wryly at himself.

Bloom giggled softly at him. "I can't wait either," she told him in a rare coy moment. She really wasn't a coquettish kind of girl, but then again, Sky brought out aspects of her that she never would have expected. "Now come on, I'm going to be late!" she exclaimed, pulling away from him and dragging him along by his hand.

He laughed and caught up with her, slinging an arm around her shoulders casually. She smiled up at him and leaned against his strong, solid body, marvelling at how well they fit together. She remembered watching the way Daniella and Steven fit together, the way they interacted, from the most casual of touches to the intimate little conversations they would have in corners and on the deserted school bleachers, just showing everyone that they were soul mates. She'd always wondered if she would be lucky enough to find her Steven, and she had.

"Oh!" Bloom exclaimed suddenly as a thought occurred to her. "This year will be Daniella and Steven's tenth anniversary, isn't that romantic? Although," she mused, "I wonder if they consider their relationship to have officially begun till they were fifteen, since that's when they had their first kiss… and all that jazz," she finished, smiling softly as she reminisced. "You know, they were the best couple I ever knew - even during all the drama of high school they stayed so loyal to each other."

Just as Sky was about to reply, they arrived at the front desk, and saw Daniella standing at the desk, having a chat with the receptionist, who looked a lot more at ease now than when she'd first met Daniella earlier in the day.

"Hi Danny!" Bloom said, waving at her. Daniella smiled and excused herself before going up to Bloom.

"Bloom, you look so pretty tonight! I'm sorry I didn't have time to go home and change after work," Daniella said to Bloom, grimacing at her appearance. She had, however, undone one more button on her blouse, and pulled a few wavy tendrils of hair from her slick bun. "Hi Sky, thanks for walking Bloom here," she turned and addressed Sky.

He smiled back at her, liking how polite she was. "Nice to see you too, Daniella," he returned cordially. "Well, I'll be going back now, you two have fun, all right?" he said, before turning and walking back towards the house.

"Come on," Daniella said to Bloom as she started walking towards the front door, carrying her blazer slung over her arm. Bloom smiled and followed Daniella to her car, which turned out to be a gorgeous white Porsche.

"Wow, nice car," Bloom admired. Daniella cracked a cheeky grin at her, throwing her blazer into the backseat carelessly and getting into the driver's seat.

"Thanks, nice boy," she replied with a saucy wink.

Bloom giggled and got into the car as well. "Yes, he is, isn't he?" she said dreamily, leaning against the back of the seat.

Daniella looked over at her and grinned. "Wow, seeing how you talk about him, he must be pretty amazing. Tell me everything," she demanded as she pushed a button and the top of the car folded back.

As they drove to the restaurant, Bloom - in between intermittent exclamations about how smooth the car was driving, how nice a night it was and how awesome it was the Daniella had such a cute convertible car - told Daniella about the story of her and Sky. Starting from when she'd thought he was Brandon, to his declaration of love when she'd been turned evil, and all the adventures they'd shared and finally, his amnesia, followed by his giving her the pendant of Eraklyon, the sentimental value of which she'd explained.

She didn't notice the way Daniella's hands gripped the wheel a little harder, and the faint sheen of tears over her eyes, or the way Daniella would look over at the ring on her right hand occasionally.

"Wow, he sounds so amazing, and I'm so happy for you, Bloom," Daniella told her sincerely.

"Thank you Danny," Bloom returned, slightly touched by Daniella's sincerity. "But that's enough about me, how about you and - "

She was abruptly cut off when Daniella quickly swung into a parking space near the restaurant. "Come on, let's go!" she exclaimed, getting out of the car and grabbing her Prada handbag.

Slightly startled by Daniella's abrupt change of topic, Bloom followed after Daniella.

"Table for two, please," she told the maitre d. "I have reservations under - "

"Ah, yes, Miss Rivers, come," the snooty-looking waiter smiled at her and ushered both her and Bloom into the restaurant. "Here is the menu, and the wine menu," he said, presenting both to the two of them with a flourish.

"Thank you so much, Jason," Daniella returned warmly. When he left, she opened her menu, although she seemed to be familiar enough with the restaurant not to need it.

"So," she said to Bloom, "the spaghetti here is out of this world, but then again, so is almost everything. They do a great lobster risotto, and if you're into the classics, an amazing steak. I've tried everything I can to get them to give up their secret steak marinade and sauce recipe, but no matter how hard I beg, they won't give it up!" she joked.

Bloom laughed along with Daniella as she perused the menu. "Wow, everything on the menu looks delicious," she marvelled. "It's so hard to decide!"

Daniella laughed. "Well, just take your time. In the meantime, why don't you tell me more about what you've been up to since I last saw you! You just disappeared one day before the start of sophomore year, and I haven't seen you since!"

During dinner, Bloom told her all about what they'd done in Alfea, from discovering her dragon's flame, to fighting the Trix… again and again. "Wow, they just don't give up, do they!" Daniella remarked, laughing.

"Yeah, no kidding," Bloom agreed, laughing along with Daniella. "And I also found out that I have a biological sister! Her name is Daphne, and at first, she was just a spirit, but then, years after first going to Alfea and finding out about her, I managed to return her to her physical body!" She then launched into an excited and detailed description of the events that led to her using her Sirenix wish to restore Daphne's spirit to her body.

"That's great, I remember how much you always wanted a sibling," Daniella said, smiling.

"Well, you and Selina were like my sisters, so even though I never had any biological siblings, the two of you were enough," Bloom explained.

"Well, I'm glad you found a new family," Daniella said, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Bloom was going to ask about Daniella and Steven again, but Daniella quickly changed the topic.

The rest of the evening continued in a similar vein, with Bloom wanting to know about Daniella and Steven, and Daniella somehow dodging Bloom's questions. It wasn't a reluctance to share anything, because Daniella was more than forthcoming about the other aspects of her life.

Bloom found out over the course of the delicious five-course dinner that Daniella was quite the sensation in the business world. She had gotten a fully paid government scholarship to an Oxford university in England, only to have Barilla Group take it over and finish paying her tuition fees after she'd done a summer internship with them. She told Bloom funny stories about her college life, all the silly mistakes and faux pas she'd committed over the course of her freshman year.

Still, despite Daniella's surprising and slightly worrisome refusal to talk about Steven, Bloom found herself having a great time with Daniella, catching up on what had happened with each other's lives and reminiscing about their childhoods.

At the end of the night, when Daniella dropped Bloom back at the beach house, Bloom asked, "Hey, do you want to hang out with us tomorrow night? We aren't sure what we'll be doing yet, but I'm sure it'll be lots of fun!"

Daniella smiled politely, suddenly distant. "No, that's all right, Bloom. You should have fun with your friends. I'll hang out with you guys soon, but I'm busy tomorrow night."

With that, she drove away, leaving Bloom confused and worried about Daniella. Things were just not adding up; there were so many differences between the Daniella she'd known and the Daniella she was getting reacquainted with. Sure, they were still essentially the same person, but it seemed that everything Daniella had once been was gone.

* * *

Daniella sighed in exhaustion as she stepped into her penthouse apartment. She tossed her bag carelessly onto the loveseat, and hung her blazer up.

"Damn, that was stressful," she muttered to herself as she headed straight to her fully stocked liquor cabinet, picking up a bottle of fifty-year-old scotch and a glass, and bringing both to the master bathroom attached to her bedroom.

She set the bottle and glass down on the counter, stripped out of her blouse and skirt, and picked up the blade resting innocuously on the sink.

With a deep breath, she brought the blade to her skin, closing her eyes as it sank in.

* * *

Yay another chapter!

To those who read the chapter before I fixed it, I'm so sorry about the formatting errors regarding this chapter. :( Thankfully a kind reviewer PMed me to let me know about it hehe so I could fix it ASAP!

As per usual, let me know what you thought about this chapter, I'd love to hear what you think!

Yours,

Peachy Hikaru


	4. Chapter 4

"A club? I don't know, that's not really our scene," Timmy said doubtfully as he looked to Tecna for backup, adjusting his glasses nervously on his face. She nodded in agreement as she snuggled closer to him on the couch.

"Come on, Timmy, lighten up!" Brandon protested, his arm slung over Stella's and his fingers intertwined with hers, both of them perched on the coffee table and facing the other couple.

"Yeah, it's not like we're going to get too wild or anything, just dance and have fun, and maybe have a drink or two," Layla chipped in, shrugging. Roy, his arm wrapped around her waist and his hand in the pocket of her denim shorts, nodded in agreement.

In desperation, Tecna looked to the only other member of the group who might possibly join her in her protests, but Flora was wrapped up in her own world with Helia, the two of them standing close together, lips almost touching, while she held a pink rose by its stalk in her hand.

She sighed and leaned back against Timmy's body. "Fine," she acquiesced in a grumbling tone. He wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm comfortingly.

"It'll be fine, Tecna," he reassured. "We don't have to get too crazy, and if it gets too noisy I'm sure we can leave." She smiled at him in response and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Great, it's settled then! I'm so excited for the dancing and the music!" Musa, who'd suggested that they go to a club that night, bounced around the room in excitement while Riven watched her in amusement.

"Cool, and I know just where we can go, too! A new club just opened downtown, and I've been reading really good reviews about it," Bloom said. "They even have a karaoke night - not tonight, but if we like it, I'm sure we can go back on Wednesday evening! Daniella can come too, I remember how much she loved to sing."

Everyone smiled and agreed, and with that, the discussion was over. The couples started to drift back to their rooms to get ready for the evening's activities.

* * *

Daniella stood nude in front of her bathroom mirror for a moment, before lifting a fist and striking it gently against her reflection.

With a deep sigh and a self-loathing glance, she turned away and stepped into the shower, hissing in pain as the hot water flowed down her arms and stung her cuts. She blinked back tears as she reached to crank the temperature higher, feeling the burning sensation on her body, and especially her arms.

She washed herself perfunctorily and shaved her legs, making sure to be careful to get every strand and not to cut herself, since she was intending on wearing a short dress that night. The irony of her trying her best not to cut herself while shaving was not lost on her, and she quirked her lips up in a moment in a humourless grin, before it disappeared like it was rinsed away by the water.

She got out of the shower and briskly towelled herself dry, then prepped herself for her Saturday night routine - pretty much go out, get wasted, and possibly end up in someone's bed. Whatever stopped her from thinking, which was what she tended to do in her free time.

Leaning into her mirror, she picked up what she called her "party palette" and and dusted a heavy layer of silver and black shadow onto her eyes, lining them heavily and finishing them off with fake lashes. She accentuated the look with a dark red lipstick, pulled her hair into a high ponytail with a pompadour, and left the bathroom.

Throwing on her little black dress, she exited her walk-in closet and her room, and ran her fingers across the keys of the baby grand piano she'd gotten for her apartment but had never played. She turned her head towards the mantle and sighed, all the fire and confidence leaving her for a moment. Standing over the piano, she lifted her right hand and looked at the solitaire diamond sparkling on the ring she wore, turning it a little so that the light struck the diamond at different angles.

Then, she turned away, renewed vigour stiffening her spine as she grabbed her clutch, put on a pair of six-inch stiletto heels, and left the apartment.

She walked to the club, since it wasn't that far and she knew she wouldn't be able to drive her car home after the club closed anyway. Slinking in through the front doors, she headed straight for the bar. She usually only needed to buy herself one drink every Saturday night, since men saw her and were always tripping over themselves to help get her drunk.

She ordered a shot of tequila, and as she held the salt shaker in one hand, she turned on the barstool to survey the evening's possible conquests. Catching the eye of a guy who was shamelessly ogling her long legs and slutty heels, she looked at him as sultrily as possible as she licked the webbing between her thumb and index finger and shook salt on it. With a sexy little smile, she licked it off, picked up the shot and tossed it down, closing her eyes against the burn of the liquor as it burned its way down her throat, and picked up the lime, biting into it.

With another 'come hither' look thrown his way for good measure, she turned back towards the bar and set the shot glass down, ordering a cosmopolitan from the bartender, who was sending her appreciative looks as well. When he set the beverage down in front of her with a wink and a "It's on the house," she smiled sweetly at him and held the glass by its stem as she slid off the stool and sashayed towards the dance floor, adding a little swing to her hips for the sweet bartender's benefit. Turning to give him a wink, she then stepped onto the dance floor and was lost in the huge throng of gyrating bodies.

This place was her haven, where the loud beat of the music and the hot press of sweaty bodies against her skin drowned out the screaming thoughts in her head. Maybe it wasn't good for her to use this as a coping mechanism, but it sure beat the alternative. Raising her drink, she joined in the dancing, swaying with her arms above her head.

As always happened, she soon attracted a group of men who started dancing around her, closer and closer until they were practically grinding against her since she wasn't discouraging them. She knocked back the last of her cocktail and as she knew would happen, within seconds the men were pretty much tussling for the privilege of buying her the next round.

She gave them a sexy smile as she started grinding her ass against the guy who had forced his way through the crowd of men to wrap his arms around her waist, closing her eyes and letting her mind drift for a moment.

Of course, good things never lasted and a tall, average-looking girl came storming through the dance floor to glare at her heatedly. "What the hell do you think you're doing with my boyfriend, you slutty whore?" she screamed in a grating, high-pitched tone.

Daniella opened her eyes and took a sip from the new cocktail that had been placed in her hand by one of the guys crowding around her. She shrugged. "I'm sorry, which one are you talking about?" she asked flippantly, stepping away from the guy she'd been dancing with. She cocked her head and raised her brow, hand on her hip.

The other girl didn't look intimidated - if anything, she looked all the more furious. "You… you stupid fucking _whore_!" she screeched at the top of her lungs. "How dare you come here, flirt with _my_ boyfriend, and talk to me like that!" she yelled.

Daniella sighed. While this was somewhat amusing, it was fast growing old.

"Look, I don't know how much you think you know your boyfriend, but obviously not very well if you think he would appreciate you barging in like a banshee to cause a scene and embarrassing the fuck out of the both of you. Firstly, none of the guys you see here - " she broke off for a moment to gesture at the crowd of men watching their argument like a pack of hungry wolves, save one guy who was standing awkwardly off to the side with an embarrassed flush on his face - "are here because I begged them to dance with me, all right? They all came of their own accord. So why don't you just run along now, and try to salvage what little is left of your pride, sweetie?" she said in a condescending tone.

The girl's fists clenched in rage. "Why, you _little bitch - _" she reached forward, clearly with the intention to strike Daniella.

Then, the whole scene seemed to freeze in a tableau. After a loud collective intake of breath from all the eagerly watching spectators, silence reigned, broken only by the continuous loud thump of the music.

Daniella lowered her arm, bringing her now-empty glass back down to her side. "Don't try that again," she said coldly, before turning around and walking away. The still-gaping crowd quickly moved out of her way, parting like the Red Sea. Then they quickly swivelled back to look at the girl, her mouth open and eyes closed as she reached up to wipe the drink from her face. "How _dare _you," she gasped, but Daniella was already gone by the time she opened her eyes.

"Give me another shot of tequila," she ordered the bartender, sitting on an empty barstool with a heavy sigh. The bartender, who had been here since she'd started patronising the establishment, grinned at her. "Another one?" he asked, referring to the difficult girl.

"Yeah," she groaned as she licked her hand, took the shot, and bit into the lime with the easy fluidity that came from lots of practice.

"It isn't their fault, you know," the bartender said, winking at her. "Girls see a pretty little thing like you dancing with their man, they go a little crazy," he told her.

Daniella scoffed. "Yeah, sure. The guys are all shallow and immature assholes who don't deserve to be in a relationship, and the girls… damn, they're annoying and screechy," she muttered, shaking her head a little for emphasis. "Why the hell are these people in a relationship, anyway?" she asked the bartender rhetorically, her lips quirking up in a wry smile.

"Beats the hell out of me," he said, preparing another Cosmopolitan for her, an order he'd received from an enthusiastic admirer. He set the drink in front of her and continued dryly, "Good thing they have you to show them the error of their ways and end their foolish relationships."

Daniella laughed and raised her drink, saluting him with it before taking a long drag out of her glass.

* * *

"That beat is awesome!" Musa cried as soon as they entered the bar. Layla nodded enthusiastically in agreement, and they grabbed each other's hands and were on the dance floor in a moment, dancing with each other and earning some admiring looks in the process, while Riven and Roy scowled around at the guys who looked like they were about to try to chat the girls up.

Everyone looked around at the club with varying degrees of appreciation and wariness, and, in Timmy's case, outright fear as he clutched at Tecna. "Tecna, do you think…" he tried to say to her quietly, but she laughed at him.

"Loosen up, Timmy, let's go dance!" she said, grabbing his arm and pulling him onto the dance floor. The other couples started dancing as well, leaving Riven, Roy, Helia and Flora to try and find a table in a relatively more secluded corner.

Helia pulled Flora down onto his lap, and although they weren't exactly the kind of couple to start going at it in public, his arms wrapped around her waist and her head rested against his chest. She smiled contentedly as she burrowed her face into his warm chest, hearing and feeling his heartbeat under her ear.

Riven and Roy stood together silently, leaning against the wall. They didn't know each other very well, but since Roy was now going out with Layla or whatever - it wasn't like Riven knew what was going on with those two - and Layla and Musa were best friends, he figured that he and Roy would be spending a lot of time together.

Still, the two strong, silent archetypical males found they had nothing to say to each other, and ended up making awkward eye contact a few times while they both searched for something to say.

"Um…" Roy finally said, his hand rubbing at the back of his neck. "Do you want to go get a drink?" he asked.

"Sure," Riven said almost too enthusiastically, grateful for the reprieve from the awkward silence they'd been trapped in. They turned to ask Helia and Flora if they wanted anything to drink, but the two of them seemed to be in their own world, so they just shrugged and turned back around.

The two men made their way to the bar, ordering beer for themselves. When the bartender slid away from the girl he'd been talking to to set the bottles in front of them, they glanced over at the girl he'd been talking to, and did a double take.

"Dude, is that…?" Riven asked Roy, who was still staring, bug-eyed, at Daniella. At least, he thought it was Daniella, although it could easily just have been a girl who looked like her. They'd only met Daniella once, but this girl completely defied all expectations they'd had of her. She was wearing a short, _short_ black dress that stopped just below her butt, leaving almost all of her legs bare. It had long, lace sleeves and a boat neckline that scooped dangerously low. The entire dress was moulded to her body so well it could have been made for her. Adorning her feet were the tallest, sexiest pair of stiletto heels either of them had ever seen. The sight black platform shoe with its long, thin silver heel that reflected the pulsing strobe lights made both men gulp a little.

Just then, she turned around and caught side of them. They felt a little like insects under a microscope as she studied them for a moment, as if wondering who they were, before recognition dawned in her eyes.

"Well, hello there, boys!" she said, sliding off her barstool to walk over to them, her Cosmopolitan drink in hand. "Fancy meeting you here!" She was slurring her words slightly, the only indication that she was buzzed. "I guess this means the rest of the gang is here too, huh?" she asked, winking.

"Um…" Riven said eloquently, gaping at her in a mixture of terror and admiration, hoping for one of the girls to come and save him.

"We… uh… yeah," Roy stuttered, a flush creeping up his high cheekbones as he made it a point _not _to look down Daniella's low-cut dress. He looked to Riven for help, but Riven had whipped his phone out and was refusing to make eye contact with either of them.

On the dance floor, Sky hummed in annoyance as his phone buzzed in his pants pocket. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he knew he couldn't because it might be important business from Eraklyon. He whipped his phone out with an apologetic glance at Bloom, and his eyes widened in surprise.

"What is it?" Bloom asked, concerned, when she saw the change in his expression. He showed her the text and she looked surprised for a moment too.

**Riven: daniella is here. at bar. plz help! hurry!**

Bloom smiled widely. "Oh how wonderful, Danny's here! Let's go say hi, Sky!" she exclaimed.

Sky was a little more apprehensive though. Riven rarely said 'please' or wrote with so many exclamation marks, so whatever was up, it must have surprised or frightened him. He followed after Bloom with a certain sense of trepidation as she made her way to the bar.

He stopped short in surprise at the sight of a sexily clad and made up Daniella standing at the bar with Riven and Roy, her elbow propped against the bar as she chatted with them.

"Danny!" Bloom exclaimed as she rushed towards Daniella.

"Bloom, sweetie!" Daniella exclaimed exuberantly as she stepped away from the bar a little unsteadily to embrace her friend. "I was just talking to the boys here. Where's the cute little Asian and the chocolate princess?" she asked.

Bloom blinked in surprise. "The who and the what now?" she asked, confused.

Sky, suppressing a laugh, spoke up. "I think she meant Musa and Layla," he said.

"Huh, that's strange," Bloom said, confused. "I've only seen Danny like this once before, when we snuck a bottle of vodka and some juices into our hotel room after prom and we all got drunk. But that seems so unlike Danny. Have you been drinking, Danny?" she asked, pulling back and looking at Daniella.

Daniella giggled. "Only a little," she loudly whispered to Bloom. "The sweet boys keep treating me to drinks," she confided in her. "Shh, don't tell anyone, it's a surprise though!"

Bloom looked stunned. "This is so unlike Daniella! What's going on here? How could cute little Danny change so much?"

Daniella laughed humourlessly as she rested her head against Bloom's shoulder, stroking her hair. "Oh, flower Bloom, there's so much you don't know."

* * *

Another chapter, yay progress!

I hope you guys don't feel like I'm rushing things too much with the pace of the story.

As always, I'd love to hear anything you have to say regarding this chapter or the story in general, so do leave me a review; it'd really make my day!

Love,

Peachy Hikaru


	5. Chapter 5

Bloom blinked in surprise. This was the first time Daniella had ever made any allusions to whatever she was hiding from her. Alcohol must really be loosening her tongue.

"What don't I know about, sweetie?" she asked, almost staggering under Daniella's weight.

"Oh, a lot of things, baby Bloom," Daniella said, giggling. "You quit regular high school, remember? You don't know how to balance a redox equation, or anything about the different economic market structures, or - "

"Thank you very much, Danny," Bloom said dryly. "How much have you had to drink, exactly?" she asked.

"I'm not too sure," Daniella said, frowning. She stood back up and started counting on her fingers. "Um… three tequilas, and a few Cosmopolitans, and…"

Just then, the bartender set a dirty martini in front of Daniella. "One of the guys from two weeks ago came again and saw you. He said he saw you drinking this then and wanted to get you one," he explained.

Daniella smiled and picked up the glass, turning around to find the guy who'd bought her the drink. When she found him, she smiled at him and raised her glass in acknowledgement. He raised his shot glass and winked at her before downing it like a pro.

Bloom, watching the entire exchange, frowned worriedly. "Maybe you should cut her off," she suggested to the bartender.

He laughed at her. "Cut Danny off? Now? Don't worry so much, she's been coming here for a few months now, I know when to cut her off, and she's nowhere near drunk enough for that, trust me. Girl's got an insanely high alcohol tolerance. I've never seen anything like it, and for such a tiny little thing, too."

Daniella turned back around and mock-frowned at them. "Are you two talking behind my back?" she accused.

"No, of course not. Now if you'll excuse me, I have customers to attend to," the bartender said before walking away.

"Come on, let's dance!" Daniella said excitedly, picking up yet another cocktail that had appeared, possibly by magic, and grabbing Bloom's hand to drag her onto the dance floor.

"Oh, I… okay," Bloom said uncertainly, allowing herself to be led to the dance floor. Somehow, Daniella unerringly found Musa and Layla, who were still dancing, and had attracted quite a group of admirers, both male and female.

"Hey, can you do this?" Layla asked challengingly, proceeding to perform a complicated lock-breakdown step that she'd learnt just a few weeks ago.

Daniella laughed. "I can! Let me try!"

Hearing her confident statement, both Layla and Musa looked over, and grinned at Daniella.

"_Daaaang, _girl! You look amazing!" Layla complimented, while Musa nodded vigorously in agreement.

"Thank you, but compliments aren't going to distract me from out-dancing the both of you," Daniella teased, laughing.

"The floor's all yours, girl! Show us what you got!" Musa encouraged, as she and Layla stepped to the side.

"Thank you," Daniella said politely, before walking into the circle. She stood still for the first eight counts, letting the rhythm of the music flow through her whole body. Then, she started dancing, really dancing, for the first time in years.

"Yeah, you go, girl!" Layla exclaimed, clapping along to the beat as she watched Daniella.

"Looking good, Danny!" Musa chimed in.

Bloom stood on the sidelines, clapping and laughing. This reminded her of high school - Daniella had always loved music and dancing, and had been on the cheerleading team. When Bloom would wait for her on the bleachers after her own co-curricular actives were over, Daniella often participated in dance-offs with the other cheerleaders, which would end in laughter and, more often than not, inspiration for a new cheerleading routine based on an improv that one of them had come up with.

It was nice to see parts of the old happy, vivacious Daniella in the more sober, strangely subdued version of her friend. Somehow it reassured Bloom that no matter what mysterious event had happened to alter her friend so drastically, the old Daniella was there, and could be brought back somehow.

Stella and Brandon came up on either side of Bloom, watching Daniella as well.

"Wow, she's so good, especially in those killer heels!" Stella admired.

"Where's Sky?" As his squire, Brandon's concern was more than just friendly.

"Back at the bar, I think," Bloom responded absentmindedly, her focus on Daniella.

"Wow, she's really good at that," Tecna marvelled, and Timmy adjusted his glasses in shock as he watched her.

"You know, it should be impossible to balance in those heels while doing… that," he said, watching her gravity-defying movements. "Do you think she's a fairy?"

"No, if she's a fairy we would be able to sense it!" Stella objected.

"Yeah, I think she's just really talented," Brandon agreed. "She hasn't even spilled that martini she's been holding."

They all laughed at that, and continued watching Daniella. At some point, Riven, Roy and Sky came over, and joined the group, and even Flora and Helia, noticing that there was something interesting happening on the dance floor, had wandered over from their cosy little corner.

When the song ended, Daniella stopped, dropping her head down for a moment before she looked up and grinned at Layla and Musa.

"Girl, you got moves!" Layla cheered, running to Daniella and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Thanks," Daniella said, grinning, as she raised her glass, from which she had, miraculously enough, not spilt a single drop, and downed the whole thing in one fluid motion. "It's been a while since I've danced like that," she commented, casually passing the empty glass onto one of the guys who were ogling her shamelessly. He accepted it without a word.

The three of them continued chatting on the dance floor for a few more minutes while the crowd dispersed, since there wasn't anything interesting to watch anymore. Not five minutes later, another drink was pressed into Daniella's hand by a nervous-looking college boy. "Thank you very much," Daniella said graciously as she accepted the drink, smiling at the boy.

While he melted a little bit under the full wattage of her brilliant smile, she turned away with the drink in hand, and he scurried off - presumably to find his friends to brag. Stella watched in amusement and a little bit of respect as Daniella took a sip out of her new drink.

"How many free drinks do you get from your admirers every time you come here?" Stella asked curiously.

Daniella thought, scrunching up her nose cutely. "Wow it's hard to do math while I've got a buzz going on," she commented. "I don't know, maybe ten, fifteen?"

All of them gaped. "And you can drink them all?" Tecna asked, frowning. She was already doing the math, calculating how much alcohol Daniella was putting into her body each time she came out drinking. The numbers were coming out insanely high, and she wasn't sure why Daniella was standing here, seemingly perfectly fine, and not comatose due to liver failure or something.

"Oh, my," Flora worried, "That doesn't sound very healthy at all. I could drop by your place tomorrow morning to make you some herbal tea to get rid of your hangover and try to reverse some of the damage to your internal organs."

Daniella laughed. "Thank you very much, Flora, but I really don't think that's necessary."

A bulky, muscular guy came up to the group and asked Daniella if she wanted to dance. The boys could tell he was flexing a little too hard to try and impress her, but before any of them could decide if they should call him out on it, Daniella had accepted and moved away from the group, soon swallowed up by the crowd on the dance floor.

Layla looked a little concerned. "Wasn't that the guy who wouldn't leave us alone until I threatened to knee him in the groin as hard as I could? Should Daniella be dancing with him?" she asked Musa.

"Oh, you're right!" Musa agreed, her face paling a little at the thought of tiny little Daniella at the mercy of the hulking asshole. "We should go and look for her."

They left together, pushing through the crowd in the general direction that Daniella and the guy had gone. A moment later, they were back, asking Roy and Riven to come along in case they needed backup to get the guy to stop harassing Daniella.

The others drifted towards the bar to get drinks, figuring that they'd meet up with the four crusading members of their group there.

Not ten minutes later, the four members of the group emerged from the crowd of people on the dance floor, red-faced and blushing. Without asking for permission, Riven picked up Timmy's beer and drank about half of it in one gulp.

"Um… how did it go, guys?" Timmy asked nervously, eyeing his beer which was currently in Riven's enormous hands.

"I don't want to talk about it," Riven growled as he slumped onto the empty barstool next to Timmy.

Tecna frowned at Riven as Timmy almost cowered at Riven's intimidating tone.

"Um… they were, um…" Musa tried to explain but she couldn't find the words.

"I think they're going to head back to his place soon, probably," Layla said bluntly, seeing how Musa was floundering. "Didn't you tell us she was in a happy, healthy relationship with some guy named Steven?" she asked Bloom. "It seriously didn't seem that way, given the way they were eating each other's faces on the dance floor."

"Well, that seems awkward, but why is Riven so flustered?" Brandon asked, smirking.

Riven looked at Musa and blushed. "I _said_, I don't want to talk about it!" he put extra menace in his voice this time just for good measure, since it seemed clear that there were some people who just didn't know when to quit it.

Musa looked up at Riven, a little surprised and amused at his vehement outburst, but wrapped her arm around his waist and gave him a comforting little squeeze. He subdued for a moment, then remembered that he was still holding Timmy's beer and returned it to him, ordering his own from the bartender.

"You seem to know Daniella pretty well," Bloom said when the bartender came in front of them to give Riven his beer. "How often does she come here?" she asked.

"Almost every week. And most of the time she leaves with a guy - but then again, who am I to judge? I've seen worse. At least she doesn't throw up in the bathrooms or try to start a scene like some of the other girls I see here frequently."

"She _what_?" All the colour drained out of Bloom's face. This from the same girl who'd wanted to wait till marriage to have sex; who'd somehow managed to convince her testosterone-laden, rugby-playing boyfriend that not having sex wouldn't create ridicule among his teammates and then gotten said teammates to respect their wishes?

"I can't believe it," Bloom said quietly. For a moment, she looked like she was about to cry, and Sky quickly wrapped his arms around her. She leaned against his warm body for a moment, soaking in the comfort.

Then, she snapped into action. "It's time for an intervention. I know she's going to hate herself come morning, so we're going to stop her before this gets out of hand."

"Um, I think she crossed 'out of hand' about twenty sex partners ago," Tecna pointed out, just so that Bloom would be aware of the little detail that seemed to have slipped her mind. She cringed and shrank back a little into Timmy's embrace as Bloom turned a death glare onto her, the likes of which she'd never seen before, especially from Bloom.

"We have to help her." The words were ground out between clenched teeth. All of them looked a little surprised at the intensity that Bloom was displaying now, since there wasn't a villain bent on destroying all of the magical dimension involved.

"Well, if it's so important to you, then I guess we're going to stop her from leaving with the muscle head," Layla agreed, and the rest of them followed suit.

"Thanks, guys," Bloom said gratefully. "You guys go look for them on the dance floor, and I'll go to the entrance to wait for them in case they're leaving."

Everyone agreed, and spread out to find Bloom's wayward friend.

* * *

I hope you like this chapter, guys - it's a little bit of a filler chapter and I'm sorry for that but I hope you learn a little more about Daniella and I'm also trying to explore the relationship dynamics between the couples in the group.

As always, let me know what you thought - I love to hear from you guys!

Love,

Peachy Hikaru


	6. Chapter 6

Daniella lay on her back in another guy's bed… James, she thought his name was. With their sweat cooling on her body and his massive, snoring form smothering her into the bed, she felt like she'd never loathed herself as much as she did quite in that moment.

At least he'd been so immersed in the experience that he hadn't noticed the marks on her arms… or if he did, he hadn't cared. Whatever got her desperate and uncaring enough to hop into his bed with him, right?

For a moment, tears threatened to sting her eyes, but she blinked them away. What was the point of crying? The ring on her finger burned her skin, reminding her of why she had to do this, what she had lost.

With a deep sigh, she started wriggling herself out from under his sweaty, sticky body, grimacing as their combined sweat stuck their naked bodies together.

Finally, after managing to extricate herself from the tight prison he'd formed with his body, where he'd slumped after they were finished, she stood on the side of the bed, looking down at his sleeping form.

Her whole body felt filthy and used, and she couldn't wait to hop back into her shower and wash every physical trace of what had happened off her. Picking her clothes off the floor, she put them back on, grimacing. Retrieving her clutch from the couch where it had been carelessly tossed earlier, she tiptoed out of the apartment.

As she walked back to her own penthouse, she wondered why she felt so compelled to do this, even though she hated herself more each time. Then she forced herself to stop thinking about it, since she knew very well why, and it wasn't like it was something she was happy about, or proud of.

As she entered her own apartment, she stripped her clothes off on her way into her bathroom, turning the temperature on the shower as high as it would go, as if the heat would help to cauterise her emotional wounds and cleanse her body from the stench of another man.

Her skin was turning red from the hot water, but she welcomed the sting - it was like purgatory for what she was doing to herself. She clenched her fists, feeling the ring bite into the flesh of her right hand.

Finally, when the water ran cold, she got out of the shower and towelled herself dry briskly, then got ready for bed.

Tomorrow morning, she would wake up early and go for a good run, and maybe she would feel slightly better about herself. But for now, she collapsed into her too-big and too-empty bed, curling up in a ball and hugging herself in an attempt to block out the pain.

* * *

The whole group was gathered in the living area of their beach house. Bloom was brooding, angry and upset. "I don't get it, I just don't," she cried in distress. "Sometimes I see bits of the old Daniella, the one who was my best friend and whom I would do anything for. But then she disappears and this new Daniella, mysterious and… so _amoral_, shows up, and I'm just so confused!"

Flora sat down next to Bloom sympathetically and squeezed her hand in her lap. "Oh, Bloom, I'm sure there's an explanation for that. People don't just change, right?"

Helia sat next to Flora and wrapped his arm around her. "You know, it have something to do with the - "

Flora sat back and rammed her elbow gently into his ribs. "We agreed that that was private, and she had to tell Bloom herself," she scolded.

Helia looked slightly mutinous for a second, but then subsided. "You're right," he agreed.

Bloom glared at them both. "What are you talking about?" Her tone brooked no question.

"No, Bloom. We can't do that to Daniella. And if you care about her, you'll wait for her to be ready to tell you," Flora replied just as firmly.

"Come on, let us all know already! The mystery is driving me crazy," Stella groaned.

"No," Layla said quietly, agreeing with Flora. "You know Flora wouldn't withhold information from us intentionally. If there's something that she thinks Daniella is hiding from us with good reason, I think we owe it to Flora and Daniella not to probe until Daniella is ready to tell us."

The rest of the group thought it over, before finally agreeing.

"Fine, but that doesn't mean that I like that you're keeping things from me," Bloom begrudgingly agreed.

Flora smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. "Thank you for trusting us, everyone," she addressed the group, placing her hand on Helia's.

"Well, now that all that drama is over, I'm going to bed. I'm beat, and I need my beauty sleep," Stella stated as she stood up and stretched, then grabbed Brandon's hand and marched off to their room.

"That sounds like a good idea," Musa agreed, as she hopped playfully onto Riven's back and they went upstairs to their room.

Soon, everyone had left, and it was just Flora and Helia sitting alone on the couch.

"I'm glad that we didn't tell them about it," Flora told Helia, leaning against him and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I am too, I suppose. But I wonder how much this is going to shake Bloom up before everything is sorted out," Helia worried.

Flora frowned a little. "I worry about Bloom too, but in all honesty, I feel like Daniella is at a worse place now than Bloom is, and we need to respect her privacy and her issues. She'll tell Bloom when she's ready, I can feel it. And in the mean time, I guess all we can do is try to be there for the both of them."

With that, they left for their own bedroom.

* * *

Brandon couldn't sleep. Thoughts of the future kept him up at night, especially now, with his soul mate lying in his arms in a restless sleep.

"Oh, Stella, how am I going to let you go?" he whispered in the dark, brushing her bangs back and kissing her forehead tenderly. His grip around her tightened a little, as if by holding her close to him and never letting go he could defy destiny.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, and with a soft kiss, he got out of bed and went down to the kitchen, not expecting to see anyone.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Brandon and Roy said simultaneously.

"I couldn't sleep so I came down," they replied at the same time.

"I thought Stella would have worn you out," Roy commented with a lascivious wink.

Brandon stiffened. "Actually, we've never… you know," he finished, rubbing his face wearily.

Roy looked stunned. "You've _never_? But you're both… I just thought… Are you, like, not able to?"

Brandon looked affronted. "What the hell? Of course I'm able to. I would love to be able to make love to her, in fact, but Solaria has this antiquated custom where the bride has to remain a virgin until her wedding night. Of course, no one ever follows it anymore, but as the second-in-line for the throne…" He trailed off and shrugged helplessly.

Roy understood. After all, he too was dating a princess. And just like Brandon, he wasn't of a pure enough bloodline to marry the princess, his DNA not good enough for the future heirs of Andros.

"So… after the school year ends, it's over, then," Roy said, the words sounding harsher than he'd meant them to be in the dim light.

Brandon slid down against the island in the kitchen and rested his forehead on his fist, the very picture of despair.

"I guess so," he said starkly. "I guess no matter what, at least I got to have these seven years with her, right?" He tried to smile optimistically, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. All that he hadn't said echoed in the space between the two young men.

Just seven years, when he'd wanted forever.

"So, what are your plans for when you graduate Red Fountain?" Roy couldn't help but ask.

Brandon snorted. "Hell if I know. I don't think I could stand being Sky's squire anymore, though. I mean, in the first place I'm a little too old to be a squire. And secondly, as much as I love the dude, I don't think I could stand to watch him live his happily-ever-after with his queen while I pine after the princess of another world by myself. And Bloom and Stella are still going to remain close friends, and I'd have to watch Stella with her husband, watch her be a mother to his children…"

"Yeah, you shouldn't stay there," Roy agreed, wincing a little at the thought of the emotional pain Brandon would have to endure if his job left him in close proximity with the woman he loved and could never have. "But what will you do?"

It was the first time Brandon had ever been asked this question, the first time he'd ever been forced to think about his future in terms other than "no Stella".

"Hmm, I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "Before I met Stella, I'd always thought I would work as Sky's squire for a while, but then become a knight and stay in the royal service for the rest of my life. Then after I met her, I just tried not to think about the future, because it was so scary, you know? Being in a relationship that's doomed from the outset… some part of me feels like I should just cut it off now, and once in a while I wonder if I should just break up with her. But then again, I'm greedy, and if I have to spend the rest of my life without her, I want to hoard as many memories as I possibly can."

Roy nodded. "That makes sense, I guess. All the best with your plans, whatever they are."

They sat in silence for a moment. Then, from Brandon: "So what about you? You're facing a similar situation, aren't you?"

Roy cracked a grin. "Start a civil war and turn Andros into a democracy so I can marry Layla?"

They both laughed at that, then sobered.

"I guess it's just our luck to fall for girls who are so incredibly out of our league, huh?" Brandon said, feeling a new sense of kinship with Roy, whom he'd previously thought of almost exclusively as 'Layla's new boo'.

"Well, the kingdoms in the Magic Dimension sure produce damn fine princesses, that's for sure," Roy agreed. "And I know I haven't known Layla for that long, but somehow, having to leave her… or rather, her leaving me behind to rule Andros, it tears my heart out, you know?"

Brandon nodded. "I hear you."

Then they just sat in silence, both thinking about their own pathetic situations.

"You know, when I was younger, I was such a ladies' man," Brandon said, grinning at the reminiscence of his childhood exploits and shenanigans. "How the mighty have fallen, huh," he continued, only half-joking.

It was true, though. For the reigning ladies' man of Eraklyon - and squire to the crown prince was a pretty big deal in as rigid a monarchy as Eraklyon was - to do a complete one-eighty flip and become totally devoted to the crown princess of another kingdom and then never be able to have her?

The thought seemed almost laughable. The sheer irony of it would have been funny to Brandon if it hadn't been _his _pathetic situation. And as he drew his legs into his body and rested his chin on his knees, he had to fight back the wave of nausea that threatened to overcome him when he thought about the mess his life had become, and the possibility that maybe, just maybe, it had been karma for all the girls' hearts that he'd broken.

But karma didn't exist, right?

Right?

* * *

Wow two chapters in a day, this is insane!

Just trying to tide you guys over till next Friday (because that's when my exams end, and I swore to myself that I would focus all my energy on studying instead of writing heh).

Let me know if you guys enjoyed this; it really isn't something that has to do directly with Daniella but the Brandon x Stella dynamic is one I'm very intrigued by, since it seems pretty much doomed from the outset.

I really hope you like this because I had a lot of fun writing about Brandon!

Yours,

Peachy Hikaru


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